"The Fair aims to be universal, to have something for everyone. ... Study the Fair. Come often. When you get here, don't rush. Be wise. Space your visits; save your aches, spare your muscles, use your head; patronize buses, rolling stock, rides, ramps and escalators; spot the oases and cultivate repose in the midst of multifarious activities. We welcome you to the Fair."

-- Robert Moses, president of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens

In May of 2008, the first-ever World Science Festival was held in New York City. To the delight of many in attendance, Walt Disney Imagineers made a significant contribution to the five-day exhibition by showing off their creations and giving some insight into the science behind the make-believe.

Janet SchmidtThe cover of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair guide book.

Chief among its exhibits was the first-ever free-roving Audio-Animatronics figure created by the Imagineers -- Lucky the Dinosaur. The nine-foot tall, 450-pound, two-legged creature laughed, sneezed and snorted. He also pulled a flower-covered cart, which cleverly concealed a computer and power source.

While Lucky drew rave reviews from those in attendance, it wasn't the first time Disney Audio-Animatronic figures -- or Disney dinosaurs, for that matter -- had visited New York. In fact, in 1964 and 1965, dinosaurs; colorful singing dolls; a time-traveling, energy-conscious family, and Abraham Lincoln himself were the unquestioned stars of the New York World's Fair.

THE EAST COAST DILEMMA

At first blush, the Fair and Walt Disney were an odd coupling. Why would Disney -- a notorious micro-manager who almost always insisted on total control -- allow his product to be presented in a place where he wasn't the guy calling the shots? And there was that pesky "would our brand be accepted on the East Coast?" question. Before Disney could consider building a sequel to Disneyland somewhere on the East Coast, he had to be convinced Easterners would buy into his product. As it turned out, Fair offered the perfect testing ground.

As Jeff Kurtti wrote in "Since the World Began: Walt Disney World, The First 25 Years," Walt Disney's involvement at the Fair was his way of "tacitly testing whether the Disneyland style of entertainment would 'play' on the East Coast. As surprising as it may sound today, many were still uncertain whether Disneyland was just a California anomaly -- successful in its context, but unsuited for export to other parts of the country."

The Fair also afforded Disney the opportunity to test his latest creations -- life-like robotic creatures soon to be called Audio-Animatronics -- in front of something perhaps even more demanding than Walt Disney himself: Live audiences from New York. Best of all, these expensive new toys would be funded by the corporations who would house them in their pavilions. Clearly, Disney's participation at the Fair -- even if he wasn't the man in charge -- was a win-win proposition.

Alice SchmidtMy sister Wendy, right, and her friend Stacy Savalak pose for a photo with an early version of Goofy at the Fair.

Besides, once Fair president Robert Moses saw a demonstration of one of Disney's Audio-Animatronic figures, there was no turning back. "We just can't have too much of the Disney touch at the Fair," Moses said, who added that after securing Michelangelo's marble masterpiece Pieta for display in the Vatican Pavilion, "The stars of my show are Michelangelo and Walt Disney."

DISNEY'S ROBOTS STEAL THE SHOW

When all was said and done, the four Walt Disney attractions at the Fair -- General Electric's Progressland, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Ford's Magic Skyway and Pepsi-Cola's It's A Small World -- stole the show.

"For two springs and summers at the World's Fair," wrote Marty Sklar, former head of Disney Imagineering in "Walt Disney's Disneyland," "new Disney entertainments had captivated Eastern audiences. Ninety-one percent of the Fair's paid attendance -- 46,871,236 people -- visited the four attractions Walt Disney and his staff had created."

According to Charlie Ridgway, former Disney press and publicity director, in his book "Spinning Disney's World," the Fair "proved to Walt that Disneyland-style entertainment would be just as popular in the East as it was in California -- paving the way for his decision to build a park on the East Coast." In 1994, Ridgway admitted to me over lunch that for a time, the World's Fair site in Flushing Meadows was considered for that East Coast park before cold realty -- namely, snowy winters and the high price of land -- forced Disney to look south to Florida, where warm weather and decidedly cheaper land was waiting.

This wasn't Disney's first foray into participating in one of these world expositions. During the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair (also held at the Flushing Meadows site), Mickey, Minnie and Pluto starred in a five-minute Technicolor cartoon called "Mickey's Surprise Party." And in 1958 at the Brussels World's Fair, the first Disneyland-style attraction to be offered outside the Magic Kingdom -- a 360-degree Circarama film titled "America the Beautiful" -- played to packed houses.

The four Disney attractions at the 1964-1965 World's Fair were breakthrough achievements, and not just because of the Audio-Animatronic figures who played such a central role in them. New ride systems were developed to enhance each show -- systems that proved to be popular at the Fair and which, along with the Audio-Animatronic figures, would become mainstays at Disney parks to this day.

Here's a brief rundown of each of Disney's four World's Fair contributions:

GENERAL ELECTRIC PROGRESSLAND

"For an unforgettable experience ... visit General Electric Progressland. A Walt Disney presentation. On the Avenue of Commerce beside the Pool of Industry. Admission Free." -- from the official World's Fair guidebook.

A great, big beautiful tomorrow was just a dream way at General Electric's Progressland. The massive pavilion gave visitors a history lesson on electricity, from its humble beginnings to the evolution of modern appliances to the promise of nuclear power. There was, in fact, the first demonstration of controlled thermonuclear fusion in the exhibit. "Don't worry," a host at the exhibit would tell wary guests, "it's completely safe."

But central to the pavilion was Disney's Carousel of Progress, an innovative show concept which saw the seated audience of 250 guests revolve around a four-part fixed stage -- hence the name "carousel." The show followed four generations of a "typical" Audio-Animatronics family -- 32 figures in all, including the family dog -- as it "traveled" through the various stages of electrical progress in the home from the late 19th century to today -- or at least the today of the mid-1960s.

The basic concept of the show was actually proposed for Disneyland in the late 1950s. To be called Edison Square, the project was listed as a "coming attraction" on Disneyland souvenir maps for several years and was to be backed by General Electric. But when GE decided to sponsor a pavilion in the World's Fair, it convinced Disney to scuttle Edison Square and join in at the Fair.

Included under the GE pavilion's massive, dome-like roof were four separate attractions -- The Skydome Spectacular (a pre-show for the nuclear fusion demonstration), The Toucan and Parrot Electric Utility Show (an off-beat comedy show reminiscent of the Enchanted Tiki Room), Medallion City (a GE product display show) and, of course, Carousel of Progress.

The Carousel's theme song, "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," written by brothers Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, followed the audience throughout its decades-long excursion. When the Fair closed, Carousel of Progress was moved to Disneyland, where it ran for several years. An updated version -- though still very faithful to the original World's Fair version -- can currently be seen in Walt Disney World (with an introduction by legendary humorist Jean Shepherd).

Interestingly, the voice of the father in the World's Fair version was Rex Allen, who currently supplies the voice for the grandfather in the WDW edition of the show. "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" enjoyed a second coming of sorts for several years as it could be heard during a segment of the Horizons ride in Epcot.

GREAT MOMENTS WITH MR. LINCOLN

The Abraham Lincoln figure, the key component to the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln exhibit in the state of Illinois pavilion, proved to be problematic for Disney's staff. After Fair president Robert Moses saw a test demonstration of the Lincoln figure -- still very much a work in progress -- he insisted that Disney bring it to the Fair. "I won't open the Fair without that exhibit!" he bellowed. Moses then worked out a deal with Illinois representatives to sponsor it. The technology, however, was still in its infancy, putting enormous pressure on the Disney production staff. In retrospect, that pressure only served to accelerate the growth of Audio-Animatronics.

Walt Disney CompanyGreat Moments with Mr. Lincoln was moved to Disneyland after its successful run at the World's Fair.

Lincoln did, in fact, work beautifully ... in California. But when he was shipped East and was set up at the Fair, four score and seven glitches surfaced. A planned demonstration in front of the press and Illinois representatives just days before the Fair's opening had to be canceled, causing Disney untold embarrassment.

According to Ridgway in "Spinning Disney's World" -- "The figure worked well while Imagineers were programming it at night, but when it was turned on during the day, it would go through all kinds of un-programmed wild motions. Some called it spastic. ... It took two weeks for engineers to discover the problem. At night, Shea Stadium's lights were on, reducing electrical voltage by a barely noticeable degree. During the day, full voltage threw the delicate electronic programming all out of whack."

Once that problem was overcome, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln became one of the most talked-about shows at the Fair, creating what the folks at Disney now call the "eyes up, jaws down" look of amazement on just about everyone who saw the life-like figure in action.

Guests entering the Illinois pavilion were treated to a pre-show called "The Voices of the Future," featuring recited lines by young children, as well as a powerful background score, telling the story of Illinois. Then it was on to the main show, Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, in a 496-seat theater. During the show, Lincoln recited excerpts from many of his most famous speeches. That stunning presentation was followed by a post-show gallery of photos and original documents (including Lincoln's own hand-written Gettysburg Address) and finally a replication of Lincoln's log cabin.

After the Fair, Mr. Lincoln took up residency in the Main Street Opera House in Disneyland; his success helped spawn the creation of the Hall of Presidents in Walt Disney World six years later, where Honest Abe still has a key speaking role.

1964-1965 New York World's FairGuests aboard a Ford automobile "drive" past a scene featuring a family of triceratops dinosaurs during their journey through time.

FORD'S MAGIC SKYWAY

"Thanks to some old-fashioned magic we call imagination, this Ford Motor Company car will be your time machine for your journey." -- Walt Disney, as you settled into your car for a trip on the Magic Skyway.

When Disney staffers were asked to come up with a ride for the Ford pavilion, they presented a concept centered around a motor trip across the United States. In one fell swoop, Ford rejected the idea, saying it wanted "something bigger." There also was the concern that a coast-to-coast automobile tour was too similar to General Motors' "See the USA in your Chevrolet" ad campaign. So Disney went back to the drawing board and come up with a trip a bit more complex in scope -- a journey through time.

The Ford Motor Company pavilion not only saw the enhanced use of Audio-Animatronics figures, it also introduced the innovative OmniMover ride system, which has been used extensively throughout Disney parks to this day. Basically, the system places a chain of ride vehicles on a hidden track, with the vehicles moving simultaneously on the track at a steady speed throughout the attraction. Guests climb board and disembark the vehicle from a moving platform traveling at the same speed as the ride.

The 20-minute trip took riders -- comfortably seated in brand new Ford automobiles sans engines and transmissions -- through a Time Tunnel to the Dawn of Time, where elaborate Audio-Animatronic dinosaurs and cavemen populated the landscape. You traveled through the Jurassic period's Primeval World, to the future and finally a city of tomorrow. That city of tomorrow in the Ford Pavilion would be the first inkling of Walt Disney's desire to create an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow -- or EPCOT -- at a Disney park sometime in the future.

Another interesting phenomenon arose during the Ford Pavilion's two-year run: It was such a popular attraction, that long wait times were the norm. Surveys listed waiting in line as Fair guests' No. 1 complaint about the ride. And you thought long lines were a Walt Disney World phenomenon!

When the Fair reopened in 1965, newer-model Ford cars were used ... and Walt Disney himself narrated the ride. Portions of the Magic Skyway ride -- specifically the dinosaur dioramas of Primeval World -- can be seen today as guests ride the Disneyland Railroad.

Alice SchmidtIt's A Small World proved to be one of the most endearing attractions at the Fair.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD

Perhaps Disney's most endearing contribution to the Fair was It's A Small World in the Pepsi-Cola Pavilion. The attraction was billed as a Salute to UNICEF and since proceeds went to that cause, it cost 95 cents for adults and 60 cents for children to ride.

It's A Small World was a boat ride where guests were treated to hundreds of colorful dancing dolls from all over the world, all dressed in native costumes, all singing the same song (also written by the Sherman brothers) in roundelay form in their own languages. Walt Disney himself provided narration as the boats made their way past each "country."

The idea was to convey the spirit of international unity. The attraction, which was originally titled Children of the World, required Disney to come up with another new ride system which has been replicated in various forms since the Fair -- the 15-passenger boats were pushed along a narrow flume by the force of water from pumps along the route (the ride system worked so well that the popular Pirates of the Caribbean, already in the early planning stages back in California at the time, was changed from a walk-through attraction to a boat ride).

One of Walt Disney's favorite artists, Mary Blair, was given the responsibility developing the distinctive style used throughout the It's A Small World attraction. Her brilliant graphic and colorfully rounded stylings left a lasting impression and can be seen today at ride replications in Disneyland and Walt Disney World as well as the Disney parks in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Of note, the Disneyland version of It's a Small World starts and finishes its journey outdoors ... and the same Disneyland Railroad that passes through the Primeval World diorama also runs through the facade of It's A Small World as it chugs around the park.

After the Fair, there was some discussion of the Disney company retaining all four exhibits on-site and converting Flushing Meadows Park into Disneyland East, but that idea was abandoned, of course, in favor of central Florida, and most of the buildings were torn down.

SOME WORLD'S FAIR TIDBITS

The theme of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair -- Peace Through Understanding -- was symbolized by a 12-story high, stainless-steel model of the Earth called Unisphere. The symbol of Epcot -- often referred to as a permanent world's fair -- in Walt Disney World is a 180-foot tall geodesic sphere called Spaceship Earth.

After the 1964 season, Henry Ford II had to talk a reluctant Walt Disney into supplying the narration for the Magic Skyway ride. ... And Ford apparently picked up a Walt's penchant for "keeping the place clean." Cars used on the Magic Skyway were given a wash and wax after each trip.

Staten Island AdvanceOne very Disney-like element at the Fair was the AMF monorail system. Unlike the monorails at Disney parks, however, these monorails rode under the beam.

Another very Disney-like element was quite visible at the Fair -- a monorail system. The World's Fair monorails were built by American Machine and Foundry Co. -- AMF. Unlike Disney's monorails, the AMF version rode below the track, suspended from overhead power units with rubber tires. They circled the Fair's Lake Amusement Area along a 4,000-foot long route.

The very futuristic monorail station at the Fair was constructed of structural steel and fiberglass panels. You needed to take an escalator to and from the loading platform 40 feet above the ground. At the time, the monorails were called the transportation idea of the future. More than 40 years later, the concept remains very much "of the future."

Like Disneyland and Freedomland before it, the Fair and Disney's four attractions were the subject of a television special -- "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair" -- broadcast on May 17, 1964.

POSTSCRIPT: I visited the World's Fair twice, the second time after my father, grandfather and I caught an afternoon Mets-Braves game at Shea Stadium. I remember the excitement we had days before making the trips to Queens, as well as not-so-fond memories of the long haul from Staten Island (bus, ferry, subway) before finally getting off the train and walking across the pedestrian bridge to the Fair. But mostly I remember the sense of amazement watching Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Like most people in the theater, I walked out wondering out loud: "How did they do that?"

NEXT: On Friday -- The Florida project and the "blessing of size."

Staten Island AdvanceJust a few months after the Fair closed, workers tear down the many exhibits. The Unisphere, center, remains on the grounds to this day,